Terms of Punishment Reduced for Next Group of People Involved in "Ganja Case"

Baku / 08.28.19 / Turan: The Court of Appeal ruled on the case of another group of persons involved in the "Ganja case."

The court, re-qualifying the charge from Art. 220.1 (organization or participation in riots) to 29.220.1 (attempt to organize riots) of the Criminal Code, softened the punishment of the accused.

Only in relation to the teacher of Sumgayit State University Elman Guliyev the charges remained the same. But even in his case the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence from 8 to 5 years in prison.

Two of the sentenced, Riya Nuruzadeh and Jabir Novruzov, were reduced the sentence from 5 years to 1.5 years in prison, of which they had already served 1 year.

For their brothers Gulmirza Nuruzadeh and Sabir Azizov, as well as Fikret Mirzaliyev, Airuz Hajiyev and Sabuhi Rajabov, the prison sentence was reduced from 6 to 2.5 years.

However all the accused in their last word declared their innocence and asked to acquit them.

The court decision was announced without the participation of journalists.

This is the fourth group of persons involved in the "Ganja case", in respect of which the appeal proceedings have ended.

Five people were released in connection with the commutation of the sentence before the term. About 30 other prisoners the sentence was reduced by about a half.

* On July 3, 2018 in Ganja an attempt was made on the then head of the city Elmar Veliyev. A Ganja native Yunis Safarov wounded him and his bodyguard.

After that, a protest rally against Veliyev in front of the Ganja administration building was scheduled for July 10 on social networks. On that day, the MIA reported riots in Ganja, during which two police officers were killed. Following this, mass arrests began among believers and others.

At a meeting in this department, Attorney General Zakir Garalov announced on July 31, 2019 that 29 members of an organized criminal group were brought to justice in connection with the attempt on E. Veliyev, and another 11 people were put on the international wanted list.

On the events of July 10, the investigation was completed and 8 criminal cases against 60 people were sent to the courts. The defendants were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. -06D-